Protectionism won’t make the hockey world grow

Sometimes I really believe that we all are watching a giant sandbox where people who should be adult enough won’t or can’t come to a satisfying agreement on how things should be.

The big babies are fighting over crumbs of sand or a tiny car not only in politics, media or general expertise but also in sports including the hockey.

I have been following the hockey circus a long time now, so I am more aware of the fuss in that game than I’d be in the game of football or basketball, even if I have been a basketball coach once upon a time.

One of the biggest issues in hockey, for example, is the prestige of course. No one is prepared to let the guard down and say “Hey, I have an idea” or ask another in order to listen: “What’s your idea? How can we evolve?”

No, instead, the NHL is refusing to participate in the Olympics for whatever childish reason, but as you all know, it’s all about the money.

Nothing at all about being a big cornerstone in the game as they should be, and by that trying to help other countries to develop their hockey program so the game can grow.

Moreover, they refuse to realize that the Olympics are the biggest competition. You cannot just have any greater tournament than that. Perhaps you might find that in another galaxy but not here on the earth.

As an alternative, a very poor one, we have the world cup, which was more or less a fiasco for the game and a total embarrassment for the city of Toronto which should be one of the two hockey Meccas of the world.

I can’t believe that I am the only one who wonders why grown up hockey directors from the biggest associations, the NHL, the KHL and the IIHF won’t settle down once and for all and talk through every paragraph until everyone is satisfied?

At the same time I hear, a lot of times, successful people always talking about unity, about cooperation and how teamwork is everything, that they wouldn’t have been anything without those elements.

Therefore this is one of biggest mysteries I can’t really figure out, so I leave this question to other people to solve:

How come every hockey commissioner has missed completely, that collaboration is one of the keys to success, when they are supposed to be the biggest leaders of a team sport?

You tell me.

I am, however, quite sure that protectionism won’t make the hockey world grow.

Teamwork is so important that it is virtually impossible for you to reach the heights of your capabilities or make the money that you want without becoming very good at it.

Arto Palovaara, Sunday Chronicler for Sports Rants Europe. Previously, he contributed for the betting company Betsafe, Svenska fans, Get real hockey and Ice nation UK. He is also an educated archaeologist and life coach who loves literature and history. Not to forget: probably he is the only sportswriter that plays the banjo.